Get the best out of your air conditioner.

It's easy to take your air-conditioner for granted - until it stops working on a sweltering hot day. To prevent problems that will leave you sweaty and bothered, there are a few things to watch out for: "Replace air-conditioning units that are inefficient, take too long to cool or require costly and frequent repairs. The average life-span of an air-conditioner is 15 years - any unit older than that should be replaced," recommends Suji Anand, an air-conditioning expert based in Ajman.

Air-conditioners have to be well maintained. "Good quality of installation and commissioning prevents most future complaints in air conditioners, unless the quality of equipment is dubious. Air filters should be cleaned properly and frequently; condenser coils should be cleaned at regular intervals especially in UAE, where there is excessive dust and sand. Motors should be lubricated and bearings should be checked," says Syed Kaleemulla, Service Manager, Al Ghandi Electronics.

Panasonic's new air conditioning units are equipped with new Aleru buster technology that traps and deactivates allergens using sophisticated control methods. "To optimise the effectiveness of the Aleru Buster, we would recommend all our customers vacuum the filters and clean the condensers on a monthly basis, because of the excessive humidity and dust prevalent in the Middle East region. The Aleru Buster filters have extraordinarily high absorption power, approximately twice the industry standard which, in turn, means that the filters need frequent clean ups to keep them functioning at optimal efficiency," says Abby Thomas, Marketing Manager, Panasonic.

Robin Kadyan of Samsung likens the compressor in an air-conditioner to a nose. "A dirty compressor is like a blocked nose. Dirt in the compressor can suffocate the AC unit and it will eventually stop working. Periodic cleaning of filters is very important as the lack of cleaning leads to zero air circulation and eventually the air-conditioning unit will stop working," says Kadyan.

Kadyan also recommends a pre-season check-up by a professional AC repairman or an AC maintenance company. "This should include a check on the electrical wiring condition, charging of the compressor gas and a thorough cleaning of the unit."

Experts at Detroit Energy say that most people make a simple mistake while running their AC unit: they open their windows at night. Half the job of an air conditioner is to remove the humidity from the air. Relative humidity increases at night because the temperatures are generally cooler. Opening the windows at night lets all the humidity back in the house and causes the air conditioner to have to work harder the next day to remove it.

In the UAE, where an air conditioner is a necessary part of life, just a few preventive measures and servicing your AC at the right time will prevent your temperature from soaring.

EXPERTSPEAK
Energy efficiency through HVAC solutions

Air-conditioning has become a necessity in this part of the world, given the extreme heat, major construction projects coming up and population growth. And due to increase in demand for air-conditioning, pressure on power resources will continue to increase.

With annual demand for energy set to grow by more than 12 per cent, energy experts in the UAE estimate that power generation will exceed 26,000 megawatts by 2010. As a result, there is a growing need to be more energy efficient and with the consortium for energy efficiency estimating that HVAC comprises approximately 45 per cent of a typical facility's energy use, the correlation becomes clear.

Add to this the responsibility put upon building owners and developers to embrace sustainability, the role of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and service (HVAC) partners systems becomes pivotal.

Integrated comfort systems

The integrated comfort system is where all components comprising an air conditioning system are selected to work together to provide optimum indoor comfort conditions. Each component (in the case of a commercial A/C system the chiller, pumps, air handling units and controls) will optimise performance - i.e. its effectiveness, efficiency reliability and serviceability. In addition, this approach will also result in the lowest overall cost of ownership.

There is a tendency to use a series of manufacturers for each component, but this will only have a negative impact. It is a bit like buying a car engine from one manufacturer and sourcing the tyres, suspension and transmission from elsewhere. High levels of performance can be better achieved when the system is designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned by a single source, who can run all the important control systems that ensure optimum performance. To use another analogy, if the integrated comfort system is an orchestra, each playing a separate (but significant) part, then the control system is the conductor.

Maintenance and servicing

In order to optimise benefits of the integrated approach towards energy efficient HVAC solutions, lifetime performance of any HVAC system relies heavily on a proper, scheduled and comprehensive maintenance and service programme.

A proper service programme should be designed to ensure an air-conditioning system is maintained as close to its original design parameters as possible, thus ensuring effectiveness, efficiency and reliability. An alternative approach that some owners choose is 'fix on failure'. This often results in short term cost savings, but significantly increases the risk of unscheduled shut-downs, which can be very expensive and extremely inconvenient.

In terms of logistics, an effective service programme should comprise a series of scheduled preventive and predictive maintenance interventions, which should be attended by experienced and qualified service staff. While deciding on the air-conditioning system, facility managers should take into consideration the local availability of adequate parts stock at their air-conditioning supplier.

Original spare parts and proper service supplied from one source ensures that the system runs for a longer term in maximum efficiency at reasonable cost. Proper service, including coil cleaning, tube testing and filter cleaning or changing, ensures that an air-conditioning system is maintained as close to its original design parameters as possible. Moreover, a good understanding of the client's air-conditioning system and the business that it supports helps ensure the cooling system continually meets the client's needs at the lowest overall cost of ownership.

- Michel Farah, Regional Director UAE and Gulf, Trane Gulf

TIPS
Keep your AC running smoothly

- Air conditioners should be properly grounded.

- Do not use an extension cord.

- Never operate an air conditioner without the front cover.

- Do not install an air conditioner near a heat source.

- Clean the air filter every fortnight.

- Do not keep any obstacle in front of air outlet window.

- The back of an air conditioner should be open for air ventilation, and there should not be any obstacle for at least one metre.

- Service your air conditioner once a year or before start of season by a qualified service person. This will increase the cooling efficiency.

- When the air conditioner is not going to be used for a long period, switch off the power and unplug it.

- Before starting the unit, always run the unit in fan mode for a little while. Then switch to the cooling mode.

- Use curtains or blinds to keep out heat from sunlight. This reduces power consumption.

- Close all doors and windows when unit is on.

-Never allow children to play near the outdoor unit of a split air conditioner.

- Recommended length of piping between indoor and outdoor unit is five metres.

- Use a hose to catch the dripping water from an indoor unit, so that it can drain properly.

- Place the outdoor unit of a split AC on a stable surface, and the airflow should be directed outwards.

- In a split air conditioner, if the air in a room is damp, use dry mode for cooling.

- Courtesy: Nikai